James Cunningham, 73, went missing from his residence in the northern part of Bessemer on Sept. 2. He was found Sept. 6, Bessemer police announced on their Facebook page this week.

Cunningham suffers from Alzheimer's disease and his speech is slurred from a past stroke. Authorities were concerned he would not be able to tell someone that he was lost.

The story of his disappearance was shared multiple times on Facebook. Police said a nurse at the hospital where he was taken had seen the post and alerted authorities. "Such very good, conscientious Facebook fans that do make a difference,'' the department posted. "Thank you for all the shares that led to his safe return."